Bracelet fastener



Septf24, F HEER JR 2,015,308

BRACELET FASTENER Filed Aug. 3l,- 1933 AIU Patented Sept. 24, 1935 j PATENT OFFICE 2,015,303 BRACELET' FnsTENER 1 Fritz Heer, Jr., Pforzheim, Germany Application August. 31, 1933, Serial No. 687,670 In Germany March 22, 1933 .4 claims. (o1.v 24-7s) 'Ihis invention relates' to `a fastener for bracelets, especially wristwatch bracelets, comprising two strap portions sl'idable the one over the other so that they can be enlarged for the purpose of slipping over the hand when putting on and taking ofi', without completely unfastenng the same.

Itis known in bracelets of this type to provide the end of one strap portion with ari eye through which the second strap portionl vis threaded which carries on its end a so-called folding fastener slidable on the'first strap por' tion and adapted to be ixed by folding down a flap provided with a pressure bar. v

T'his known folding fastener is open --to the objection that it slips under tensional stresses even when the iiap is closed, 'so' that the bracelet becomes larger and no longer fits tightlyA on the arm. A further disadvantage of the slidable folding fastener is, that for the purpose of enlarging or narrowing same every time the bracelet is put on or removed the flap must be opened and the fastening element must be displaced on the strap so that embossed or engraved decorations and patterns suier considerably and, for example in the case of plated straps, the precious metal layer wears off extremely quickly.

Moreover, the pressure bar o f the flap wears owing to the opening and closing of the iiap every time the bracelet is put on'and taken off, so that a sufllciently tight hold of the fastener in closed position is not ensured for a long time.

'I'he above mentioned objections are overcome 'to a considerable extent by the fastener according to the invention, which consists of the combination of aslidable and iixable flap fastening vslide arranged on one strap portion, with a strap. snap hook on the second strap portion, a rod provided on the'ap fastening .slidebehind the ap hinge serving as fixing means for the hook.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying draw- 4ing in which:-

tiFig. lshows the wristwatch bracelet in eleva- Fig. 2 1s a. top pmi view of Fig. 1 with closed strap snap hook. 1 Fig. 3 is a similar view to `2 but with the snap hook disengaged.

Fig. 4 is a medial longitudinal section of the fasteningslide with snap hook fixed onthe strap. Y

Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig.4.

Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 4 showing the fastening slide loosely riding on the strap. i

Fig. '7 is a cross section of Fig. 6.

The flap fastener consists of'a slide a, detachably fixed on one band portion I by means of a flap b having a pressure bar c. In order to prevent the pressure bar c from* coming into 5 ,direct contact with the strap portion I and damaging same, a plate d is provided having lateral supports e mounted in apertures f in the side walls a1 of the slide a. A ro/dJz. :for connecting the other strap portion l1 lismounted in the side 10 walls a1 of the slide a directly behind the flap hinge g. The strap portion II has a strap-snap hook z which, for the purpose of closing the wristwatch bracelet is hooked on to the rod h. The mouth of the hook is closed by a tongue m acted 15 upon by a spring k. The tongue m is swung from the closed position shownA in Fig. 4 into the open position shown in Fig. 6 by means of a` bow n extending through twlo apertures o in the snap hook i and serving vas handle for'the finger nail 20 inserted in the direction of the arrow A. .v

When it is desired to use the bracelet the two hooks p are hooked in known manner on to the straps of the watch case not shown in the drawing. When a continuous bracelet has been 25 formed in this manner, it mustbe adjusted to the4 size of the wrist.4 When the bracelet is always worn by the same person, this can be effectedoncefor all with the aid of the combination according to the invention, in that the slide 30 a is shifted to and fixed by depressing the ap b in the `position in which the bracelet ts tightly on the arm when the snap hook i is engaged.

The slide a is held in this final position not only by the clamping eiect lof the ap pressure 35 bar c but. also by the claws q arranged onf/the bottom of the slide a and engaging in recesses r (Fig. 6) or the like, which are provided at distances apart on the rear side of the strap. In the bracelet illustrated these recesses r are 40. formed by links t slipped on a supporting band s-. Any pull exerted by the strap on the suspension rod h of the slide a imparts la tiltingl movement to the slide a'causinggthe c1aws1'q, arranged on the bottom of the slide a, to engage 45 more securely in the recesses r.- To enable the slide claws q to disengage from the recesses rwhen'shifting the slide a, the plate d has sufilcient,clearance in the apertures f inthe side walls ai, of the slide a.

When putting on and taking of! thevbracelet,

it is only necessary to hook the snap hook i on to the slide a or to unhook same therefrom. The

unhooking is effected in a vsimple manner by inserting the linger nail in the bow n of the snap 55 hook tongue m and pulling up the whole hook i. The hooking on is eiTected merely by pressing the snap hook on tothe suspension rod h. engaging the tongue m to yield and liberate the mouth of the hook.

The bow is made of wire,'preierably oi semicircular cross-section. In this manner sharp edges are avoided which are otherwise eliminated. by rounding the edges of the slide especially ci; the bottom and, side walls, thereby effectively preventing damage to the clothing.

I claimz- 1. In a fastener for bracelets composed of two portions extending one over the other, a slide comprising in combination a U-shaped member riding on the inner bracelet portion, a hinge pin mounted in the side walls of said member, a ap mounted on said pi`n and consisting of a twoarmed lever the shorter arm of whichis constructed as a pressure bar adapted when said t flap is depressed to press against the inner bracelet portion guided along the bottom of said member and thus ilx the slide on the inner bracelet portion, a rod xed in the side walls of said member at about the same height as said pin and near the end of said member remote from said ilap in depressed position, and means for connecting the outer bracelet portion to said rod, said means consisting of a detachable lock adapted to be disengaged from said rod for removing the bracelet from the wrist and to be hooked on to said rod for closing the bracelet on the wrist.

2. In a fastener for bracelets composed of two portions extending one over the other and having on their inner surface recesses at distances apart, a slide comprising in combination a. U- shaped member riding on the inner bracelet portion, a hinge pin mounted in the side walls of said member, a ilap. mounted on said pin and adapted to clamp the slide on the inner bracelet portion, claws arr `ged on but only projecting slightly from the bottom of said U-shaped niember adapted to engage in the recesses in the inner bracelet portion, a rod fixed in the side walls of said member at about the same height as said pin and near the end of said member remote from said flap in depressed position, and means for connecting the outer bracelet portion to said rod.

3. In a fastener for bracelets composed of two portions extending one over the other and provided on their inner surface with recesses at a distance apart, a slide comprising l?. cewablnaticn a U-shaped member riding on the inner bracelet portion, a hinge pin mounted in the side walls of said member, a flap mounted on said pin and provided with a pres-mrc bar, adapted tc clef-apl the slide on the inner bracelet portion, a plate mounted with play in the side Walls of said U- shaped member and adapted to protect the inner bracelet portion from contact with the pressure bar of said flap, claws arranged on but only projecting slightly from the bottom of said U-shaped member adapted to engage in the recess in the inner bracelet portion to prevent the slide from slipping on the inner bracelet portion, a rod fixed in the side Walls of said member at about the same height as vsaid pin and near the end of said member remote from said ilap in depressed position, and means for connecting the outer bracewith rounded edges, a hinge pin mounted in the side walls of said member, a flap mounted on said pin and provided with a pressure bar adapted to clamp the slide on the inner bracelet portion, a plate mounted with play in the side walls of said U-shaped member and adapted to protect the inner bracelet portion from contact with the pressure bar of said ap, claws arranged on but only projecting slightly from the bottom oi' said U-shaped member adapted to engage the recess in the inner bracelet portion to prevent the slide from slipping on the inner bracelet portion, a rod fixed in the side walls of said member at about the same height as said pin and near the end of said member remote from said ap in depressed position, and means for connecting the outer bracelet portion to said rod.

FRITZ HEER, JR. 

